Before arriving in this crossover world, Shirakawa had a driver's license. But it had been years since he'd driven—much less a full-sized school bus.
Honestly, the fact they reached their destination without issue was impressive in itself.
After all, the whole point was to attract as many zombies as possible. Zombies were drawn to noise, so he'd slammed down the horn and never let go.
All along the roadside, aimless corpses were drawn toward the deafening sound.
Naturally, this shattered the quiet of the night. From within nearby houses, lucky survivors stirred—some flicked on their lights, clearly irritated and ready to scold someone.
But then—
They saw it.
A wave of undead, following behind the school bus like a dark flood.
Any complaints vanished.
What replaced them was gratitude.
[Reputation +1]
Shirakawa kept the bus at a slow, controlled speed to ensure the horde could keep up. The windows were rolled down, and the night breeze brushed his face.
In the passenger seat sat Busujima Saeko, still wearing her Fujimi Academy uniform. If they were in a proper shelter, she might've tried to wear something more modest.
But not here.
Not in front of the man she liked.
She wanted to show him her full tenderness. She hadn't even brought a weapon—because she didn't need one.
Through the bus's rearview mirror, Shirakawa could see an endless wave of corpses. Even the side alleys were spilling over with undead.
"…"
The road wasn't wide to begin with. Some abandoned, burning cars blocked the way ahead. But Shiraikawa's face remained calm and collected—and that calm made Saeko feel safe.
As the bus jolted from a sharp turn, her generous chest—measured quite thoroughly earlier—shifted, but Shirakawa didn't pay it any mind.
He was too focused.
[Skill 'Driving' detected. Would you like to learn it?]
"…"
He'd only meant to farm some experience before leaving this world, exploiting the zombies' sensitivity to sound.
But this?
This was a pleasant surprise from the proficiency system.
It didn't quite fit with the "Student" class—but when you think about it, weren't driving students still students?
"Learn it."
And just like that, the awkward fumbling from earlier disappeared. He now had full command of the school bus, and the handling was smoother than ever.
Their destination?
A city park they'd passed when traveling from Fujimi Academy to Minami Rika's house. It was an open area—no cover, perfect for drawing zombies from all directions.
The streets around the park connected to several other roads, increasing its reach.
"Not sure why… but Shirakawa's driving improved so fast," Saeko remarked, seated beside him.
They rode the bike lane straight into the park.
They'd arrived.
Shirakawa grabbed a wooden stick, jammed it against the steering wheel horn, and the blaring sound echoed louder than ever.
Even Saeko felt her ears ring.
She got out of the passenger seat, slightly disappointed she hadn't gotten to try that again in the bus—but she knew now wasn't the time for pleasure.
As her boots touched the pavement again, Saeko looked at the advancing undead.
"Shiraikawa… what do we do now?" she asked, watching the incoming horde.
"We find a relatively safe spot and wait."
Zombies had poor vision—they followed sound. Shiraikawa needed about 30 minutes to fully restore his mana, and every second counted.
Time to go big.
With a flood of corpses surging in, Shiraikawa had no interest in picking them off one by one.
To Saeko's surprise, he swept her into his arms.
With the enhanced strength of his Mana Release ability, he locked eyes on a signal tower 300 meters away and charged forward.
"…"
What does it feel like to be carried in someone's arms?
Saeko could barely hear her own heartbeat over the rush of wind. Her vision blurred with the sudden speed—and before she knew it, they were already fifty meters up, atop a narrow platform of the signal tower.
It was a place meant for workers to service the equipment. Small, with handrails—and the two of them were now pressed together in the night wind.
Her short green pleated skirt fluttered in the breeze.
She could feel Shirakawa's body heat radiating against her skin.
"…"
Saeko glanced around—everywhere was cloaked in darkness. Then, unable to suppress the trembling in her chest, she lifted her skirt.
She wasn't wearing anything underneath.
Hands gripping the railing, she turned and looked over her shoulder at the man she'd fallen for.
She said nothing.
But her blush spoke louder than a thousand love confessions.
"What kind of risky exposure play is this…?" Shirakawa muttered.
"…"
Though Saeko was a senior in third
year High school. Shirakawa, meanwhile, had long since secured the top spot across all senior ranks.
And he had no intention of failing this "fill-in-the-blank" quiz.
---
Time passed.
Who knows how long.
When Shiraikawa finally looked over again, Saeko was on her knees, her skirt acting as a cushion. Her body trembled, and he'd long since mastered the art of "slow and steady."
His gaze turned toward the city.
The school bus's horn continued to blare.
And the undead came in droves.
The vehicle was now completely surrounded.
He didn't even try to count them—but it was safe to say at least 3,000 to 4,000 zombies had been drawn in.
And to Shiraikawa?
That was a mountain of experience points.
He reached for Megumin's staff, which he carried at his side.
It was time to start the real show.
Without hesitation, he activated the skill.
It was the ultimate attack spell from the world of KonoSuba. A torrent of magic surged into the staff as the crimson jewel at its tip radiated a blinding light.
Pure magical energy was amplified and unleashed.
It coalesced into a vortex of magic, gathering high above the target—a tour bus. The dark night sky itself warped under the force, as every last drop of his mana was wrung dry.
Without a shred of hesitation, Shirakawa detonated the spell.
"Explosion!"
A massive vortex of magic erupted instantly, and the ensuing fireball lit up the entire night sky. The impact shattered windows in the surrounding buildings of the park.
The terrifying roar of the explosion rumbled across the night, delivering a rather unique awakening to the remaining survivors in the city.
"You have successfully slain an undead. Gained EXP +50."
"You have successfully slain an undead. Gained EXP +50."
(More similar messages followed...)
"Current level up: Lv4 → Lv5"
"Arch-wizard Lv5 (Cap Breakthrough Possible)"
"Basic Skill: Explosion Magic Lv5 (MAX)"
"Gained Skill Point: 1"
"Gained Evolution Point: 1"
"Profession 3: Holy Sword Wielder Level Up: Lv5 → Lv6"
"Gained Skill Point: 1"
"Gained Evolution Point: 1"
"Not a bad haul."
Feeling the explosive power of his magic, a faint smile crept across Shirakawa's face. He had helped draw and clear out the zombies near the survivors, earning him recognition and renown.
Finally, his abilities were proving useful.
And just then, as the Arch-wizard class reached max level, a prompt reappeared on his proficiency panel:
"Class 'Arch-wizard' has reached its level cap. Blank Class Panel Unlocked!"